WWI Mark VIII Tank Model from Michigan Tank Arsenal *SOLD TO MUSEUM COLLECTION*

WWI Tank Model from Michigan Tank Arsenal, Warren MI (Detroit suburb)

Mark VIII wood and metal model about 26″ in length by 9″ and 8″ tall.

Our impressive model was actually rescued from the Warren, MI tank arsenal before it was closed.  The worker was in the modeling department and saved this one, but 90%+ of the others were thrown away.  The model was then brought to Florida by a friend.

The detailing is original and heavy, with rotating turrets, rotating machine guns, removable tow cables, and extensive use of sheet metal and metal “rivet” heads.  The door is even detailed.

On the bottom you can see the official plaques and military numbering.

This is likely one of a kind!  The scale is perfect for Barcley soldiers and overall, this is over two feet in length!  Soldiers are included if desired.

Detroit Arsenal (DTA), formerly Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant (DATP) was the first manufacturing plant ever built for the mass production of tanks in the United States. Established in 1940 under Chrysler, this plant was owned by the U.S. government until 1996. It was designed by architect Albert Kahn. The building was designed originally as a “dual production facility, so that it could make armaments and be turned into peaceful production at war’s end.[1] Notwithstanding its name, the 113-acre (0.46 km2) site was located in Warren, Michigan, Detroit’s largest suburb.[2]

Chrysler’s construction effort at the plant in 1941 was one of the fastest on record.[3] Indeed, the first tanks rumbled out of the plant before its construction was finished.[4]

During World War II, the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant built a quarter of the 89,568 tanks produced in the U.S. overall. The Korean War boosted production for the first time since World War II had ended; the government would suspend tank production after each war. In May 1952, Chrysler resumed control from the army, which had been unable to ramp up production.

As a Government-Owned, Contractor Operated (GOCO) facility, Chrysler retained operational control of the production facility until March 1982, when Chrysler sold its Chrysler Defense division to General Dynamics Land Systems. General Dynamics produced the M1 Abrams tank at the facility (and at another plant in Lima, Ohio) until 1996, when the plant was closed and tank assembly and maintenance operations were consolidated at the Lima plant. The plant and some of the adjoining property were transferred to the City of Warren in 2001. The site of the original tank plant has been parcelled up and is now dedicated to civilian uses.